Frank DeMarco, Ex-Puffy's Owner, Dies at 79

Frank DeMarco in an undated photo.

The Trib Received the following note from Frank Didik about longtime Tribeca resident and former owner of Puffy's Tavern.

Frank E. DeMarco, one of the founders of Puffy's Tavern, passed away on October 21, 2018.  Mr. DeMarco, along with Ned Schnier and Jim Stratton started Puffy's in 1977 and it quickly became a major hangout for artists and intellectuals in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Besides being one of the owners, Frank DeMarco was the manager and promoter of the bar from the start making sure that the bar was mentioned in every guide book and paper as the location to visit when in New York. He became the sole owner of Puffy's in the 1990s and sold the business in the early 2000s.

A tribute page for Frank DeMarco with many photographs of him and Puffy's from the 1980s can be viewed at www.didik.com/demarco.